Tag: ammunition

Arms — AR-15

In response to a Facebook post by a friend of mine involving the AR-15 type semi-automatic rifle I looked up the price of such a weapon.

The closest place I know of to purchase firearms and ammunition is a Turner’s Outdoorsman store about a mile and a half from my house. I looked at their online site and found this: ATI Milsport AR-15 5.56MM Keymod / 16″ Barrel Burnt Bronze w/10 round mag = $549.99.

Including local sales tax that brings the price of the weapon to $598.11 — without ammunition — so let’s say $600 for the rifle.

A 20 round box of ammunition could cost as little as $9.99 + tax or about 50¢ per bullet.

So, for about $710 you could get a semi-automatic AR-15 and 200 rounds of ammunition.

Additional 10 round magazines sell for $14.99.

By my calculations that gives a person an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, 200 rounds of ammunition, and a sufficient number of ammunition clips to hold said ammunition for under $1,100.

And that person only needs to be 18 years old.

To own and drive an automobile a person needs to:

Have a driver’s license, having first passed both written and practical tests;

The car must be registered;

The car must be insured.

To own and shoot a rifle a person needs to:

Pass a written and practical test to have and use a rifle?

Register the rifle?

Have insurance for the rifle?

Remember the statement: guns don’t kill people; people kill people?

If this is true, why do we equip our soldiers with guns? Why don’t we, and other nations, just send the soldiers? Why equip soldiers with expensive weapons when people kill people not guns?

Could it be that nations and soldiers are not blinded by political rhetoric; that they realize the reality of the situation — that guns kill people, lots and lots of people.

Final thought: after the initial cost, what is a life worth? About 50¢ — now that’s purchasing power.